The Long Road Home

So, I hated the idea of getting up at 530am to catch a bus to Vientiane (I bought my ticket way too late last night for the 900am bus) so I slept in. So, maybe I’ll catch one tomorrow. Maybe not. It doesn’t matter in the slightest, the bus ticket can be exchanged, so no worries. Except for the fact that today would have been an excellent day to take the bus as it is raining like banshees and it’s the kind of rain that lasts.

Today isn’t one of those short, brief tropical showers. This is rain. It’s also been one of the longest rainy seasons on record in Southeast Asia. It started early in the year with Nargis, the hurricane that slammed into Myanmar. This was in May. The rainy season is usually over by late September. And yet, it’s early November and the rain has dogged me all the way up the peninsula. And, to be honest, it’s getting a little old. But, I have zero control over the weather and all I can do is wear my poncho.

I wanted to talk about a few things that have been cropping up in the comments. There have been some interesting conversations, to say the least. The first, most important one is this: women and independent travel. As I wrote in one comment, East Asia in general is one of the safest places on the planet for independent women travelers. There are countless European, Australian and a few American women traveling in pairs and even alone here. So, if you have the slightest inkling to come visit this part of the world, please do so. You will be safe. As one commenter noted, buy a Lonely Planet, read what it has to say about women travelers and then ship out!

Really, China, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Laos are wonderful places for independent travel. I can’t speak to Vietnam or Cambodia yet, but as I have read they are the same. So please, don’t be afraid, just go.

Second, how does it work not speaking local languages? Well, I speak Russian (passably), a smidgen of Mandarin and workable Spanish. But, for the most part I rarely speak anything other than English. Nor does anyone else in the world. Even here in Luang Prabang, really, look where it is on a map, the level of English speakers is impressive. Mind you, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, but still. In Thailand I had no problems, nor in Malaysia, or in Laos at all. Even in that tiny village we spent the night in on the river ride, our guest house owner spoke English. So, if you are worried about going somewhere they don’t speak English, don’t worry. Other than Russia, parts of East Africa, the souther states of the Arabian Peninsula, portions of China, and of course France, you’ll be fine.

Don’t get me wrong, I usually try to pick up a little of the local lingo (my mind seems to work well that way) but not speaking a foreign language is no excuse not to get up and go. If I sound like I’m trying to infect you with the travel bug, well, I am! These days there just isn’t any excuse, other than lack of funds, for not traveling outside of the well trodden paths of Europe. Just go. Half the fun is trying to communicate and crossing that huge cultural bridge that separates us. But really, it isn’t that big a gulf as long as one is patient.

Lastly, I’d be remiss if I didn’t suggest you read John Carter’s comment on ‘chicken buses.’ It’s priceless. And he is right in every way.